Lady Mocs Advance To Southern Conference Championship Game

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Top-seeded Chattanooga cruised to a 77-44 win over No. 5 seed Elon in Sunday’s first semifinal game of the Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Championship at U.S. Cellular Center. The win was the 24th consecutive victory for the Mocs, who will now play for their 15th tourney title.

SoCon Player of the Year Taylor Hall led Chattanooga (28-3) with 18 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Ashlen Dewart added 14 points and seven boards. Elon (15-16) was paced by Kelsey Harris with 10 points, six rebounds and four steals.

The Mocs led throughout, scoring the games’ first eight points. Jenifer Rhodes got the Phoenix within seven, 19-12, at 8:51 of the first half. Chattanooga answered with a 13-2 run capped by two Dewart free throws to take firm control of the game.

It was a 15-point affair, 38-23, early in second half following Lauren Brown’s tip-in at 17:39. The Mocs put the game away with stifling defense. That bucket by the Phoenix was the only one in its first 21 second-half attempts.

Chattanooga went on a 24-5 run over that 13-plus minute stretch to extend the lead to 34 points. Dewart’s three-point play at 6:57 made it a 60-26 advantage, putting the game out of reach.

The Mocs await the winner of Davidson-Western Carolina for the SoCon title and automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. The title tilt is at 5 p.m. Monday in ExploreAsheville.com Arena inside the U.S. Cellular Center. It airs on CSS and ESPN3.

Pace, FL – The Dalton State women’s golf team (337-322-321 = 980) finished eighth of 11 teams in the two day Lady Argonaut Golf Tournament, which concluded Tuesday at the Stonebrook Golf Club in the Florida Panhandle. “I’m really proud of the way we bounced back after a tough first round,” said Lady Roadrunner Coach Jim McGrew. “The course played tough both days with ... (click for more)

A champion has returned home. Tarah Garner, a two-time TSSAA state tennis singles champion for Boyd-Buchanan (2008-09), is now in her first year as the Bucs’ boys and girls tennis coach. Holding a degree in broadcasting from Lee University where she played four years of tennis, Garner uses a hands-on approach to coaching as the four-time defending region ... (click for more)

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam on Tuesday unveiled additions to the FY 2015-2016 budget that will be considered by the General Assembly in the coming weeks, including added funding for K-12. The governor last week met with school superintendents from the largest systems in the state over the issue of state funding for K-12. The next day, the Hamilton County Schools joined ... (click for more)

A city detective who was arrested twice in four months has been fired by Police Chief Fred Fletcher. David Catchings had been charged with DUI last September and then with domestic assault at the end of the year. Police said, "After a complete review of both investigations – which included recommendations from Internal Affairs, the Administrative Review Committee and Officer ... (click for more)

March 30 has been set aside as National Doctors’ Day since 1933 as a time to recognize the contributions made by our physicians. While the recognition is appreciated, our greatest satisfaction comes from caring for our patients. For 132 years, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society has been the physicians’ voice as we worked together to improve health of our community. ... (click for more)

About 51 years ago, right after Jim Creel had graduated from the University of Texas and was in Guadalajara for medical school, he was surprised to find a complete stranger sitting on his battered and dusty Volkswagen. “He had seen my Longhorns sticker and was thrilled to find somebody else in Mexico who loved the University of Texas. “That’s when our friendship started and it ... (click for more)